Heel-sti ffener for boots and shoes



(Nomodel.) I y J. M. WATSON.

'HEEL STIPPENER FOR Boofrs AND SHOES. N'O- 24.7.7557-laznted,.0.01:.4.1.8.8.1...r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH M. WATSON, OF SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-STIFFENER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,787', dated October4, 1881.

Application iiled May 3, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH M WATSON, of Sharon, of the county ofNorfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Heel Stiffenings for Boots or Shoes; and I do herebydeclare the same to be described in the following specification andrepresented in the accompanying drawings, ot' which- Figure l is anexternal eleva-tion, Fig. 2 an internal View, Fig. 3 alongitudinalsection, and Fig. 4 a transverse section, of a boot or shoe heel counterprovided with my invention, the nature of which is defined in theclaimhereinafter presented.

In carrying out my said improvement I combine with a boot or shoecounter made of leather or leatherboard a metallictlexile or elasticre-eni'orce or stiftening-plate, capable of conzo forming, withoutwrinkling, with the counter, to the shape of the last while the shoe orboot containing such counter is lasted or being lasted, the object ofthe re-enforce being to prevent the counter, while the boot or shoe maybe in wear, from yielding so as to cause what is termed ruiming down atthe'heelf7 which is particularly apt to follow with counters of leatheror leath er-board when wet or water-soaked.

The re-enforce or yielding metallic plate B, which I combine with a bootor shoe counter, A, is notched or provided with a range of teeth, ad orda', both at top and bottom. As shown in Fig. 2, the apex of eachangular space between any two next adjacent of the teeth of such rangeis opposite the middle of the base of a tooth ot' the fellow range ofteeth, each tooth being triangularin shape. This arrangement renders theplate stronger and less liable 4o to break than would be the case werethe apices (No model.)

ot' the spaces between the teeth of one range directly opposite thoseofthe teeth ofthe other range. The re-entorce so made of thin metallicplate is laid atwise on the inner side of the counter and lengthwisethereof, and is connected to such counter by bending at a right angle orthereabout, near its apex, each tooth of the upper range, and insertingthrough the counter thepart so bent, and upsetting or clinching it downupon the counter, such being` with respect to each tooth, as showniuFigAt. Without the two series of teeth arranged very nearly together,as shown, the re-ent'orce will not readily bend'laterally andlongitudinally with the counter and take the proper or requisite formwithout wrinkling during the process otlasting a shoe or boot havingsuch a counter; but with the two ranges ot notches or teeth thenecessary ilexures or bendings ot' the re-enforce, both longitudinallyand laterally of it, follow without danger of it becoming ridged,wrinkled, or broken.

I am aware that it is not new to make a counter entirely of metal, noris it new to x upon a counter, at its lower part, a metallic plate.OonsequentlyI make no cla-im to such in the abstract', but

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

As an improved article of manufacture, a heel-stiIenin g, substantiallyas described, cousist-ing of the counter of leather or leatherboard, andof the tlexile or elastic metallic plate or re-entorce, notched orhaving teeth at its opposite edges, and arranged and combined with thesaid counter essentially as set forth. 75

JEREMIAH M. WATSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, E. B. PRATT.

